Given that Jeremy Lin is of Taiwanese descent, it was only a matter of time before Next Media Animation made a video tribute to his breakout performance against the Nets. Thanks to commenter IllPHIl, we've found said video and it is wonderful:

As is always the case with NMA, the content of this video is a perfect visual representation of real events, including the manner in which Lin scored his points, the manner in which Mike D'Antoni secures his bench players, the manner in which college officials deny scholarships to prospective students, and the manner in which Lin hurls flaming basketballs at people. My only real question is who the light-skinned "#2" bench player tied up beside Jeremy is. Kinda looks like Andy Rautins. (Update: Oh yeah, Steve Novak. Still looks like Rautins, but then again, Lin doesn't even look like Lin.) Other than that, the NMA folks have the Knicks-- sorry, the L-O-S-E-R-S-- pretty much figured out!

Anyway, we've now got one more reason to hope Lin continues to excel as a Knick. I want as many more of these as possible as soon as possible.

Oakley & Allen's video of last night is the most artful (tip of the hat to Gian), but in terms of reliving the experience, I don't think you can beat the original broadcast on this one. Here's eight minutes of Jeremy Lin making highlights, the Garden crowd getting delirious, Mike Breen breathlessly calling the action, Walt Frazier hemorrhaging rhymes, and the Knicks bench going bananas. It gave me the chilliest of chills.

Mmm.

After the jump, two post-game items of note.

Continue reading this post »

A while back, we got a peek at Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire's visit to Sesame Street. Now, we can watch the full performance, which airs tomorrow.

A quick breakdown of what we saw:

- compare [cum-PEAR] (v.): to figure out if things are the same. Or if they're different.

- One thing that is the same among Grover, Carmelo, and Amar'e is that they are all wearing basketball warm-ups.

- One thing that is different is that Carmelo and Amar'e are both nearly 7 feet tall, while Grover stands about three feet high and is a puppet.

- Another thing that is different is that Carmelo and Amar'e can both hit mid-range jumpers, (although field goal percentages suggest that it took a couple takes to get that shot) while Grover can do little more than hit Carmelo in the shoulder with a mid-range jumper, probably because his form is dogshit.

- Another thing that is different is that Carmelo and Amar'e can both hit routine lay-ups, while Grover has, with only a short run-up, a vertical of about 140 inches and can dunk his entire body through the rim head-first.

Other comparisons not mentioned in the bit:

- Carmelo and Amar'e both use contractions, while Grover does not and is a puppet.

- Carmelo and Amar'e are eared, while Grover is an earless puppet.

- Carmelo and Amar'e are African-American, while Grover is Cerulean-American.

- Carmelo and Grover have had their conditioning called into question, while Amar'e stays in peak physical condition.

- Amar'e and Grover have visited Israel and immersed themselves in Jewish culture, while Carmelo has not.

Cum pear.

I think it's pretty much certain at this point that Iman Shumpert is single-handedly preserving my interest in basketball. If it weren't for his Twitter account, and especially the videos he posts of himself training, I'd already be out in the streets eating pedestrians and fornicating with garbage. But Shump won't let that happen. Shump cares, and that's why Shump keeps the dream alive with videos like this one:

Iman Shumpert on WhoSay

A few things of note: 

- That's fellow Georgia Tech-to-New York rookie Alex Montgomery of the Liberty training alongside Iman. Pretty cool to have someone making the same transition he's making, and even cooler that they're working out together.

- That drill where you snatch basketballs off the floor and tomahawk them in rapid succession? I can't do that anymore. Not since the accident.

- About halfway through, Iman hits a TON of catch-and-shoot jumpers.

- As usual, I'm pretty sure that's Shump rapping. As usual, Shump proves to be a genuinely talented rapper.

- #NoDaysOff

I can't thank you enough, Iman. You're all that's standing between me and a basketball-deprived fugue state/crime spree.

Carmelo Anthony's new Jordan commercial (also featuring Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul, who I guess are basketball players for other teams) aired during Monday Night Football last night (or so they tell me). Perhaps it is something you might like to watch. If it is, I've embedded it right here after this paragraph:

I'm pretty disappointed that I didn't even get an audition to play the role of "Williamsburg Pick-Up Baller" OR "Under-40 Jew". I need a new agent. And yes, Posting and Toasting is now devoted solely to whatever footwear Carmelo Anthony happens to be peddling. It pains me that this lockout is so deeply entrenched and unmistakably enduring that companies like Jordan are willing to commit resources to ads like this one. I hate this stupid buttmouth lockout so much. If I had a Jordan Brand, I'd just make commercials that say exactly that.

(Tip of the hat to the kindly bros at Quickish.)

I am very, very antsy to watch Iman Shumpert play basketball. As I've said to a few people recently, Shump alone is like 14% of the reason I want this lockout to end. Granted, I'm sure that's how fans of most teams feel about their rookies (although I can guarantee that's not the case for the folks at Liberty Ballers). Other rookies, though, don't have as much value during the lockout. Ours dunks and raps and snacks on caesar salads and wins comically small amounts of money at casino games. Take the jump for Iman Shumpert's auto-documentary of his time in Vegas starring Iman Shumpert, directed by Iman Shumpert, and featuring an original soundtrack by iMan Shumpert.

Continue reading this post »

Amar'e Stoudemire is everywhere right now (Melo, too. Look around.). With his new sneaker (this handsome foothat) out, he's showing up everywhere, sayin' stuff about the lockout, threatenin' to start a new league, and dunkin' on a cardboard cut-out of Blake Griffin (and travelin' and almost breakin' a window). Neat. Of importance to us is this exchange from Amar'e's appearance on Dan LeBatard's show (in other news, Dan LeBatard apparently has a show) in which he throws his teammate under the bus (via IamaGM). The relevant part starts at 2:53, but embedding a cued-up video seems to be beyond my skillset, so you'll have to jump ahead yourself:

That's just not becoming of a team captain, Amar'e. If Ronny Turiaf has body odor issues, this is a matter best discussed privately with Ronny himself. (Or do as Prezbo does for Dukie and just leave some soap in his locker!) Throwing Boris Diaw in there as well isn't cool, either, and now it just seems like you've got something against Frenchmen. Poor form. For the record, I've been close enough to smell Ronny Turiaf a couple of times, and have never detected any stench of note.

Anyway, I urge all of you reading this to cope with the foibles of your peers constructively and with tact. Even though Gian smells like figs and duck urine all the time, I don't go around broadcasting that information, you know?

A recent trip into the bowels of YouTube led me to this old, curiously unattended Willis Reed commercial from 1971. Why it only has 124 views right now (like twelve of which are mine) is beyond me, because this video has everything. In the lead, you've got Reed in a backwards jersey (?) pounding Alka-Seltzer because that perfect storm of rush hour traffic and a girl on his case about coming home late and getting his shit sent back by Wilt Chamberlain is giving him a headache and acid indigestion, man. Meanwhile, Dave DeBusschere (Update: Someone other than Dave DeBusschere) captivates in a supporting role as Reed's teammate, displaying the full range of emotions from "inquisitiveness" to "genuine dismay at the notion of acid indigestion" to "shame for being so insolently inquisitive". Y'all would know better than I about the extras, who I assume aren't real Knicks.

In any event, this is a gem. Take a look after the jump.

Continue reading this post »